The Kilgore College Rangerettes will announce new freshman members on Friday, July 19, after pre-training and tryouts this week.

Trying out for Rangerette this week are 95 girls from as far away as Salt Lake City, Utah. The Rangerettes are returning 36 sophomores to the line.

The new Rangerettes will be chosen by outside judges, director Dana Blair and assistant director Shelley Wayne.

Pre-training will take place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, in the Deana Bolton-Covin Rangerette Gymnasium.

"Pre-training events during the week are open to the public," Wayne said. "Girls trying out will learn various routines during the week such as kick, jazz and studio combinations."

Tryouts will be 8 a.m. Thursday where the girls will try out in groups of four.

The official tryout is closed to the public.

New freshmen will be announced at a closed meeting 10 a.m. Friday in Dodson Auditorium on the Kilgore campus.

A reception for all new Rangerettes and parents will follow tryouts at 11 a.m. in the Rangerette Gym.

The Rangerettes were the first of their kind when they began in 1940 as a vision of the late Gussie Nell Davis. The organization created a unique combination of dance moves and precision drills that quickly earned them the reputation not only as the originators of dance/drill teams, but as the best in the world.

Known for their high kicks and the jump splits, the organization has traveled around the world and entertained millions.